


Calling the Ocean Home

by villainsarebetter (darkling59)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Creature Fic, F/M, Mantis Menagerie Fic Exchange, Selkies, anti-milah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 18:40:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6918616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkling59/pseuds/villainsarebetter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Belle moves to America for a fresh start, she’s surprised to encounter a man who is oddly obsessed with a sealskin she found on the beach, followed shortly by a very distressed seal barking for help next to Ariel’s dock. It doesn’t take long for her to realize the two events are closely connected. </p><p>(Mantis Menagerie fic for @thecompletebookworm)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thecompletebookworm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecompletebookworm/gifts).



 

> _Belle had always loved the ocean._
> 
> _As a child in Australia, going to the beach was the highlight of her summer and held some of her fondest childhood memories; paddling in the shallows under her parents’ watchful eyes, eagerly exploring the tide pools during low tide, and simply laying under an umbrella in the sand and listening to her mother’s voice as she read Belle’s favorite books aloud. When Belle was older, her father took her out on his small boat, giving her a different look at the coastal ocean.  That was when she’d discovered the world of the reefs; oddly shaped coral formations, brightly colored fish, and the occasional shark or sea turtle. She’d never taken to fishing – she much preferred to watch the animals and learn from them._
> 
> _When Belle entered high school, the ocean lost some of its luster. Her mother sickened so vacations were spent in and out of hospitals or worrying at home instead of at the beach. After two long years of steady decline, her mother died peacefully in her bed. Haunted by grief and hospital bill debt, her father sold his boat and business a month later._
> 
> _Neither of them really recovered from her mother’s death, but her father didn’t even try – Belle found herself scrambling to keep him from wasting their money and drowning his grief in alcohol. She managed to keep her grades up through sheer force of will and natural intelligence because she needed those to get into a good college, but everything else – including her interest in the ocean – was left behind._
> 
> _College came and went followed by a job as an administrative assistant and another as an assistant librarian, both left her feeling unfulfilled as if her true potential could only be found elsewhere. It didn’t help that she never moved out of her father’s home – he needed her too much and she feared if she left him alone he would lose himself in his grief._
> 
> _The ocean did not even cross her mind again until ten years later when her father’s death prompted her to leave Australia and travel to the United States looking for a fresh start and an escape from the memories and regrets back home._

* * *

The beaches of the San Francisco Bay were always crowded in the summer. Tourists and locals alike took advantage of the weather by flooding to the coast in droves; surfing, bogey boarding, fishing, whale watching, partying…or just walking and biking the numerous trails crisscrossing the area. It was a bustling and friendly tourist trap, and Belle would have liked nothing more than to join in the fray and have fun.

Unfortunately, she had more important (and much less fun) things to do.

Far from the noisy city and the crowded beaches surrounding it, on the outside of the bay, she paced down a quiet stretch of beach that was owned by her friend Ariel and Ariel’s husband, Eric. So far, Belle hadn’t been able to find a place to live on her own (especially on her small budget) and finding a job…well…

“Yes…yes, I understand…No, I…” Belle stammered into her cell phone, listening to the secretary speak on the other end. “No, I’m not from the United States. A green card? Well, yes, but… No, I’m a librarian.”

A beat of silence.

“I have a degree in literary analysis and experience with…yes, I can get you my transcripts.”

More silence.

“How long do you think-. No. What do you…oh. Yes, I’ll hold.”

Belle came to a halt next to an outcropping of tall stones, resting back against one of them as tinny elevator music played in her ear. She was dressed like any other beachgoer, in jean-shorts and a loose t-shirt which covered her light blue bikini (chosen because it matched her eyes). Her feet were bare and sank into the warm sand as she flexed her toes. The only other thing she was wearing was a pair of fashionable sunglasses currently pushed back on top of her head.

She’d learned quickly that this was the most comfortable way to dress on the San Francisco beaches in summer. Anything more extravagant made Ariel laugh and had Belle feeling uncomfortably weighed down by midday. She would change when she actually met with potential employers, of course, but that had only happened once so far.

Abruptly, the elevator music cut out and an impatient masculine voice spoke in her ear.

“Yes! Hello! I’m…what? No. My name is Belle French. I’m calling for the assistant librarian position. Are you…? No, I’m not connected to the university. I really can’t…okay.” She pulled away from the screen and glared at it irritably as the elevator music resumed. “I guess I’ll hold again.”

Her hands slid idly over the rocks, tracing their contours as she waited for a secretary – or hopefully someone higher up – to resume the phone call. The fingertips of one hand landed on something soft wedged in a shadow between two rocks and she paused, waiting to see if it would spring to life and when it didn’t, she tugged on it gently. It slid easily from its hiding spot and she found herself withdrawing a heavy folded bundle. Before she could look at it closely, the phone clicked. Her head shot up.

“Hello! This is-.”

A loud tone sounded in her ear and she jerked back with a yelp, listening in disbelief as a mechanical operator stated: “Your call has been disconnected due to disuse. If you believe this is an error, you can contact customer support at 1-800-.”

Belle hung up in disgust before the number could finish. This wasn’t the first time she’d been hung up on, but it _was_ the longest they’d led her on about it. She’d been in California for three weeks and still had no job or income. The only interview she’d landed hadn’t gone anywhere and she was starting to get worried; Ariel and Eric would get tired of her eventually, and she did not like freeloading.

Belle released her aggravation in a low sigh. “Oh well.” She said aloud, trying to cheer herself up. “There are still plenty of fish in the sea. I can always help Ariel, if I can’t get work anywhere else.” The thought made her smile; Ariel was a very good friend of hers and her passion was making jewelry from shells, sea-stones, and other flotsam and jetsam found on the beaches which she sold to tourists for a pretty penny. She also helped Eric on his fishing boat.

“I guess it’s back to the computer – maybe I can find another job opening to call about before the end of the day. But first…let’s take a look at _you._ ” Belle murmured, putting her phone in her pocket and examining what she’d found in the rocks.

Unfolded, it turned out to be an animal pelt – a _large_ animal pelt. Whatever it was from had been over eight feet long and deep brown, almost black in color. Curiously, Belle ran her hands through the short, dense fur that covered it, reveling in the satiny feel and absently noticing that there was a mangled cut near one corner.

Far on the other end of the beach, crouching over a tide pool and hidden by the rocks, a short, slim man with a crippled ankle sat straight up, sudden terror seizing his heart.


	2. Chapter 2

 

> _Rumpelstiltskin was born on the coast of Scotland to a selkie mother and a human father. His father – a local ne’er do well – had managed to get his hands on her pelt and, using it as leverage, forced her to marry him. Unsurprisingly, they never had a happy marriage; the man never changed his thieving ways and the woman constantly, desperately searched for her pelt and the freedom it would bring. Neither of them particularly wanted a child but they had one regardless._
> 
> _The selkie woman finally found her pelt when Rumple was just under two years old; not old enough to remember much more than vague impressions about her. It took him decades to find out she’d left him and his father in favor of the sea. As far as he knew, she’d never cared to find him after she vanished and he’d had no way to look for her in the vast ocean._
> 
> _Rumple grew up knowing he was unwanted. His father left him alone more often than not and yelled or cuffed him ‘round the head when he was there while the townsfolk looked down him with pity and disdain – even at that young age he was already tainted by his father’s influence. It was a hard life – constant hunger, fear, and loneliness taught him that humans were cold, cruel beings even to their own kin._
> 
> _When he was ten, Rumple heard the song of the sea for the first time. It called to him, soothed him, and pulled him from the dirty roads of the small Scottish town – more of a village, really - where he lived to wander in the surf. With no one to care about his absence, the boy spent hours at a time just standing it the water, feeling its pull and wondering if its embrace would be more merciful than his father._
> 
> _His father finally left for the last time two weeks later, leaving Rumpelstiltskin an abandoned orphan with only a cold empty shack and a mountain of gambling debts to his name. That day, Rumple dove into the ocean and never went back. He surrendered to the song of the sea and, instead of drowning, his muscles shifted smoothly under his skin, fur grew where there had been none, and his limbs morphed to flippers with stubby claws. The only thing that remained of his human form was his soft brown eyes._
> 
> _Moments after a human boy vanished beneath the waves, a seal pup darted through the water towards the open ocean._
> 
> _Towards freedom._
> 
> _After many years of calling the sea his home, swimming with the wild seals for companionship and rarely coming on land for supplies or stretching his legs, the threat that humans posed had dulled in Rumple’s mind. He knew humans from their nets, hooks, and boats – obstacles he was adept at avoiding. When he came on land, he slipped amongst them unnoticed and not a single one bothered to speak to him let alone follow him back to the sea._
> 
> _With one exception: the fisherman’s daughter, Milah._
> 
> _Milah was an unpleasant surprise._
> 
> _She knew the legends of the selkies; men who were seals and seals who were men. Magical creatures that could grant luck to any sea craft…and that could be bound to a human’s every whim by a simple sealskin. The fisherman’s daughter was ruthless and clever while the selkie was distracted and careless._
> 
> _One day, she saw him come ashore, and watched from the trees while he hid his sealskin. He walked away without looking back._
> 
> _It was a mistake Rumple came to regret very quickly._
> 
> _The sensation of her hands on his pelt made every hair on his neck stand on end and his skin crawl. What meager supplies he’d gathered slipped from suddenly nerveless hands and he fled to the beach, hoping and praying it was a mistake or an accident…but there Milah stood, a smile on her face as she twisted his skin in her hands and a cold gleam in her eyes. No matter how much he begged, she refused to give it back._

* * *

The pelt was smooth and soft in Belle’s hands; the fur-side so sleek that it felt like velvet while the other side was so well-tanned that it felt more like some strange exotic fabric than animal skin. As she turned it around, running her fingers over it curiously, she wondered what sort of animal it was from. Definitely a sea mammal. She knew that sleek smoothness of the fur meant ‘waterproof’ but everything else was a mystery. Seal, perhaps. But what sort of seal had fur like that? Sea otter? But the ones she’d seen at the aquarium and floating in the bay were barely the length of her arm and this pelt was longer than she was tall.

“Oh, oh _no_! _No…_ no no no no no…!” A panicked voice interrupted her, startling her into twisting the pelt in her hands and clutching it to her chest. The voice’s owner was immediately obvious; a stranger stood on the rocks mere meters away, watching her with wide, horrified brown eyes. His appearance was a bit scruffy; worn brown slacks and a loose grey dress shirt were his only clothes while his ruffled brown hair grazed his collar, much longer than normal. He would have fit in with any of the buskers and stall-owners selling their wares down on the fisherman’s wharf. His expression, however, was completely out of place and Belle was suddenly very aware that they were all alone on the beach and she was cornered between the rocks, waves, and the crazy-looking stranger.

“Give it back. _Please!_ ” He had a thick Scottish accent that would have been attractive, if his voice wasn’t so sharp with panic.

To her surprise, his eyes were fixed on the pelt in her hands. Absentmindedly, she ran her hands over it and the man shivered as the fur compressed under her fingers.

“This? It’s yours?”

“Yes!” He was practically begging, shifting restlessly in place and Belle raised her free hand in a calming gesture.

“Okay! Okay…it’s alright.” She offered him a tentative smile he did not return. Belle was reluctant to let go of the pelt. _Something_ urged her to clutch it close and claim it for her own, to jealously guard it from this man. But she had no reason to do that; it wasn’t hers and the stranger was obviously very attached to it. With a sigh of regret, she held out the pelt and the man stumbled forward, limping heavily as fast as he could and snatching it out of her hands. His shoulders slumped as soon as the skin was in his hands and a long, low sign of relief escaped his lips.

“Thank you.” The words were quiet and prayerful, filled with such a depth of emotion that Belle shrugged uncomfortably.

This time, when Belle offered him a smile, he returned it. With the pelt folded safely in his arms, he seemed to realize how unreasonable he was acting and flushed in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. This means a lot to me.” He shifted the skin to one arm so he could hold the other out to shake her hand. “I’m Mr. Gold. I live down the coast.”

“Nice to meet you.” Belle’s smile became more genuine as she relaxed and his frantic, desperate behavior calmed. “I’m Belle. Belle French. I’m staying with Ariel and Eric Stiner.”

“The fisherman and his wife? You fish?”

Belle wasn’t offended by the skepticism in his tone – she knew that she didn’t fit the mold of a seaman and she had no interest in commercial fishing. Instead, she laughed. “No, no! Ariel’s an old friend of mine from college. I just moved here and I don’t have anywhere else to stay yet.

“Ah. A foreigner. I understand.” His shy smile transformed his expression and for the first time, Belle realized he wasn’t much taller than her. He was also a very attractive man when he wasn’t distressed and frightened. His warm Scottish burr was just as out of place on the sunny shores of California as her Australian accent, marking them as fellow outsiders.

“I can tell.” She teased.

Mr. Gold chuckled self-consciously but Belle noticed that he never loosened his grip on the pelt. Following her gaze, he took a limping step away from her.

“Sorry. I’ve just never seen or felt any animal with fur like that.” She explained. “What is it?”

“Oh…seal. It’s a sealskin.”

“A Scottish species?”

“Aye. It’s an heirloom, of sorts.” He explained reluctantly as he continued to back away. “I need to get back home. It was nice meeting you, Miss.”

“Please, call me Belle. I hope we’ll meet again, Mr. Gold.”

“I’m sure we will. Good bye.” He bobbed his head at her politely one last time and limped away behind the rocks. Belle was left feeling like she’d missed something vitally important. The texture of the sealskin lingered on her hands.

When she rounded the rock to watch Mr. Gold go, he had already vanished from sight.


	3. Chapter 3

 

> _Much like his mother before him, Rumpelstiltskin found himself bound to human form, though he was not taken on land – Milah preferred him on her father’s boat –_ her _boat within a few years – bringing her luck and weaving his magic into the nets and sails. He slept in a nest of sailcloth on the deck when he was allowed, as close to his element as he could get._
> 
> _Over the years, Milah became greedy. She demanded more from him than he was willing or able to give and her temper and sharp tongue turned on him daily, sometimes hourly. However, they were all alone on the boat and eventually came closer together, though they never liked each other._
> 
> _When Milah got with child – his child – she was absolutely livid. She wanted her freedom, not a child to slow her down! Somehow, she rationalized it to be his fault and he did not contradict her. He did, however, wonder if the child would hear the song of the sea._
> 
> _Baelfire was born in a small hospital much further inland than the selkie found comfortable…but as soon as he saw the tiny, perfect child – his son – he fell in love. It did not even matter than Milah was complaining in the background or his back still twanged in pain from her last punishment._
> 
> _He had a son._
> 
> _Baelfire grew up on the fishing boat, the apple of his father’s eye. Milah spent more and more time away from them, relying on Rumpelstiltskin to keep her business afloat. Sometimes he didn’t mind – he took the time alone to teach his boy to read, write, and swim as well as the intricacies of the ocean he’d learned as a seal – the nature of the various sea creatures, the secrets of the tides and currents, the importance of wind and weather, and how to sense changes based on sight, sound, and smell. Those were the best days._
> 
> _But sometimes the waves were high and the wind was strong. The old boat shivered and creaked beneath Rumple as he fought for control he’d never wanted and the fish fled the nets and hooks. Those were the days that Milah was drunk and angry when she got back and she always took out her temper on Rumple. Those were the days he ended staring out over the sea, listening to its song and wishing he could flee beneath the waves and return to the simple life he’d enjoyed._
> 
> _It was an impossible dream; Milah kept his pelt well-hidden and he dared not try to search again for fear of punishment. Besides, he refused to leave his son behind and so far Bae had shown no sign of hearing the sea._
> 
> _The bad days increased in number as the boat got older and Milah refused to listen to Rumple’s insistent concerns about its seaworthiness. Even though he’d known it was coming, it was still a shock when a plank ruptured in the hull and a pump broke after a particularly bad storm. Thankfully, they were at port at the time so Rumple just snatched Bae and jumped to the dock to stay safe. The look on Milah’s face when she returned to find the two of them sitting with their legs swinging off the edge of the pier and watching the boat listing sadly in the water would have been funny if it hadn’t precluded a vicious punishment for Rumple_
> 
> _That was the wake up call she needed to get the boat fixed, but it was too late – there was too much wrong with it and she’d gambled away too much money to pay for the repairs. Some part of Rumple hoped she would just let him go, even if he never believed she’d actually do it - she obviously didn’t like him and what use did she have for him without a boat? He stood with his hands on his twelve-year-old son’s shoulders and waited for her judgement._
> 
> _Unfortunately, the scanty hope was crushed almost as soon as it crossed his mind. Milah had apparently been communicating with a sailor in the United States and decided this was the perfect opportunity to join him. Rumple protested vehemently against getting on a plane, the very thought of being in the air packed around so many humans making his knees weak, and the thought of leaving the waters of Scotland for the first time in his life twisted in his gut, but Milah steamrolled over his concerns. And when he thought desperately that this might be a chance to find his pelt and escape, Milah dashed his hopes by keeping him away from her luggage and shipping the rest of her possessions separately. So long as he was separated from his sealskin, he was helpless._

* * *

Rumpelstiltskin swam through the waves as fast as he could, hampered somewhat by his crippled hind flipper. The sensation of the human’s hand on his fur was a phantom touch pressing down on him from all angles and he twisted in tight spirals, trying to shake it away with the pressure of seawater.

How could he have been so _stupid!_

Three years he’d been free of Milah, and that had almost come to an end today at the hands of another human woman, all because he hadn’t concealed his sealskin well enough. He couldn’t take it with him when he was in human form – it was bulky and attracted attention– but he’d thought it was well hidden.

Not well enough.

When he’d seen the woman standing on the beach, holding his hide in her hands, his heart had skipped a beat in his chest. She was slim and dark-haired, stroking the pelt as if she owned it, and for a moment, he’d seen Milah standing there smirking at him. He’d wondered if it _was_ MIlah, come to force him back under her control.

However, there was little relief when he saw her face and realized it was a woman he didn’t know, at least not until it became obvious she did not realize what she had. And then she’d given it back and he’d nearly sunk to his knees sobbing in gratitude.

No, the woman – Belle, wasn’t it? – wasn’t like Milah at all but it took him a while to get over his instinctual fear and come to that conclusion.

Many hours later, he could no longer feel her touch on his fur and he’d calmed down enough to see their encounter from a new perspective and feel embarrassment over how he’d reacted. He was surprised she hadn’t called the police on him.

Lost in his thoughts, Rumple almost didn’t notice the monstrous form looming in front of him, emerging from the deep water miles off the coast, until a thunderous sound carried through the water around him, vibrating the very bones in his body. He looked up and barked in shock.

* * *

Belle walked back home slowly that afternoon, thoughtfully turning the odd encounter over in her mind. Something about Mr. Gold just didn’t sit right. And why would anyone be _that_ attached to a sealskin? She’d heard of seal hunters and the fur trade, but surely pelts weren’t that hard to come by, even if that one had looked a little odd. There was something poking at a corner of her memory, something she couldn’t quite remember that seemed relevant, but it refused to be pulled to the surface.

When she asked Ariel about Mr. Gold, she got a confusing response:

“Oh, Mr. Gold? He’s a strange one, alright! But he makes the best nets this side of the bay. He helps Eric out sometimes when storms damage the lines.”

“Have you ever seen him with…erm…this is going to sound weird, but…a seal’s pelt?”

Ariel went deathly pale and stared at Belle like she had two heads. “You _found_ it?” Her tone was hushed with horror. “Tell me you didn’t _touch_ it!”

“What?” Belle was taken aback by the response. “I found it wedged between a few rocks. I gave it back!”

That at least drained some of the horror from Ariel’s expression, but she still seemed shaken by Belle’s cavalier attitude and was suddenly uninterested in answering any questions.

Her final firm comment to Belle was: “Best leave him alone, Belle. He’s not going to take kindly to you after that. And if you ever see that pelt again, _don’t touch it._ ”

All the exchange did was convince Belle that she was missing something important, and that little forgotten memory was becoming clearer and clearer in her mind’s eye, so she did what she did best: research!

It took less that fifteen minutes to find a reference to an old Scottish fairytale about sealfolk, shapeshifters that existed between man and beast that shed their skin to shift forms. They were called selkies. At first, Belle laughed it off, realizing that the memory she’d forgotten was an old story her mother used to read to her from a book of fables – she even remembered the moral: “love cannot be taken, only given”.

However, as she researched further, her belief in the fantasy wavered. Mr. Gold had no reason to deceive her and everything _fit._

There had been a slice in the pelt near where the seal’s hind flippers would be…and Mr. Gold’s ankle was damaged. The pelt had not been from a native species and actually looked closest to a Scottish grey seal…and Mr. Gold had a heavy Scottish accent. The pelt was easily longer than she was tall and expertly skinned to the dimensions of the animal, which was extremely difficult…unless the animal had not been skinned at all.

The more Belle thought about it, the less certain she was that selkies were mere fantasy.

She was just wrapping up her research, laughing at herself for being gullible and trying to shake off the odd imaginings, when a ruckus kicked up out on the beach, sharp canine barking that had her scrambling towards the house’s small dock in alarm.


	4. Chapter 4

 

> _The plane ride was just as bad as Rumple had expected – the lack of ocean and water made him feel deaf and sluggish while the press of the humans set all of his nerves on edge. He spent the entire eleven hour flight to California wide awake and watching Bae like a hawk to make sure he was safe. Milah spent it getting drunk on complimentary booze, flirting with the male flight attendants, and then sleeping deeply until they descended at the Los Angeles International Airport. She and Bae had identical grumpy ‘just woke up’ faces when they departed the plane (though Rumple found his son’s much more amusing) and the selkie was dog tired._
> 
> _Milah’s sour mood evaporated when she found her ‘friend’ waiting for her – a handsome young man named Killian Jones. His smile was broad and roguish when he saw Milah, but sank instantly when he saw Rumple and Bae – apparently she hadn’t mentioned she was bringing ‘company’. If Milah had told him anything about the selkie she controlled, he obviously hadn’t believed it. The man put Rumple’s wrung out nerves back on edge – his dark eyes had the same coldness and callousness as Milah’s when she punished him. He clutched Bae close and remained silent as Killian and Milah hit it off immediately._
> 
> _The friction between the two men was immediately apparent. Killian’s boat was larger and more modern than Milah’s had been but fitting three adults and a growing boy on it was still a crowd. He reluctantly allowed them on board thanks to Milah but he did not like or understand the relationship between the three of them. Bae received lukewarm treatment, generally ignored and occasionally humored, while Rumple was bullied mercilessly. Worst of all, Killian refused to leave them alone on his precious boat so their father-son time was almost nonexistent (and Milah still wanted the selkie kept on the boat, contained and controllable)._
> 
> _The situation came to a head in a way none of them expected: with a fight between Milah and Jones. The subject was the only one they routinely disagreed on: Rumpelstiltskin. Killian couldn’t understand why Milah wouldn’t just dump her ‘dead weight’ somewhere and take off, while Milah refused to release the captive she’d controlled for so long. The selkie, for once, was not involved in the argument itself; he was at the other end of the boat, leaning heavily against the railing and looking out over gently splashing waves. The tide was high and the moon was full, casting the scene in silvery white light and the song of the sea was loud in his soul. The native harbor seals and sea lions had been active in the last couple weeks and Rumple ached to join them; to slip his skin and frolic beneath the waves as he had not done in over fourteen years. But without his sealskin, that was an impossibility and he was stuck here listening to Milah and Jones bicker instead._
> 
> _“Papa?”_
> 
> _“Bae!” Rumple yelped and jumped, whirling to face his son. He’d been so lost in his nostalgia that he hadn’t noticed the boy creeping up behind him. Bae’s eyes were wide and scared in the dark and the selkie’s heart instantly melted. There was one other very important reason he could not run away. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”_
> 
> _“Mama and Killian are fighting again.” His father’s calm demeanor calmed Bae but he was still unhappy. He hitched himself up onto the railing and sat on it next to Rumpelstiltskin, kicking his feet carelessly over the waves._
> 
> _Rumple sighed and nodded. Their angry voices were muffled at this distance but still audible. “I know.”_
> 
> _“Why do we stay?” Bae wondered quietly, looking out over the shifting water._
> 
> _Curious, Rumple turned his head to look at him. “Where else would we go?”_
> 
> _“Well, I just thought…” Bae stammered, looking away. He hadn’t expected his father to hear him. He flushed in embarrassment. “I don’t know. Somewhere else?”_
> 
> _Rumple furrowed his brow and watched with dawning realization as his son’s eyes reluctantly cut back to the waves, seemingly against his will. The sea was irresistible tonight…for a selkie. A human wouldn’t even notice. And his son…his presumably human son…was looking at it with the same longing that was reflected on Rumple’s own face._
> 
> _Could it be?_
> 
> _Bae was older than Rumple had been when he found his skin, but he’d never needed it the way Rumple had. His son had always had support from his father, but isolation from everyone else. Had that inspired the same sort of loneliness that sent Rumple to the sea? He’d never shown a selkie’s connection to sea creatures, though…_
> 
> _“Bae, do you remember the legend of the selkie?” It was a bedtime story he’d told his son, not daring to connect himself to the tale but unwilling to say nothing about it._
> 
> _“Yeah…”_
> 
> _“A selkie’s skin is-.”_
> 
> _“YOU!” A snarled shout startled both of them, accompanied by the harsh slam of the cabin’s door. Milah stormed out, Killian on her heels and a familiar sealskin bundled roughly under one arm. A sharp knife was clutched in her other hand. Rumple’s eyes instantly riveted on his pelt. It called to him on an instinctual level and he ached to take it back. His hands balled into fists at his sides, but there was nothing he could do as she stalked up to him. “This is YOUR fault!” She turned towards Killian, whose dark scowl was as skeptical as it was angry. “I’ll prove it, Killian!”_
> 
> _And then, to Rumpelstiltskin’s horror, she dug the tip of the knife into the side of his sealskin._
> 
> _He howled in pain and doubled over, clutching desperately at his ankle as blood spurted from a wound that should not have existed. The next few minutes were a haze of agony and confusion._
> 
> _“PAPA!” Bae screamed, putting the pieces together as blood poured from the pelt and his father’s leg.  He lunged forward and shoved Milah, snatching the pelt from her hands. Stunned by the consequences of her hasty actions, Milah simply gawked and did not have the presence of mind to grab it back._
> 
> _Killian, on the other hand, was seeing dollar signs as he finally accepted proof that there was an inhuman fantasy creature writhing on the deck less than a foot away. He reached for Bae, trying to retrieve the skin, but the boy jerked away, recoiling hard and coming up against the railing._
> 
> _…And going_ over _the railing._
> 
> _He hit the water with a resounding *splash!* that was enough to rouse Rumpelstiltskin from his pain and he managed to squirm between the bars of the railing and fall to the sea below. His pelt, floating freely, seemed to attach itself to his back eagerly and his body stretched and shifted, instinct bringing forth the form he hadn’t been able to wear in so long._
> 
> _In the water beside him, Bae watched, seeing and feeling something beyond the ken of the humans shouting in alarm above them. Fully transformed, Rumple turned his head towards his pup and looked at him expectantly. Bae closed his eyes and reached for the sea._
> 
> _Milah could only screech in anger as she saw a grey seal and his pup arrow away through the water towards freedom._
> 
> _Rumple’s ankle stopped bleeding with the transformation, but it never healed completely and he found himself bound to the coastal waters and unable to follow the wild seals’ migration from that day forth. Bae quickly grew enough to feel the call on his own and Rumple found himself spending the migratory months hunting easy prey in the waters of the San Francisco and Monterey bays alone, watched eagerly by tourists in boats and waiting for his son to come home._

* * *

To Belle’s surprise, the racket was coming from within the water. She rushed to the edge of the small dock and peered over the side, worried she would find a drowning dog. However, the barking ceased as soon as she leaned over the water and instead of a dog, she found herself face-to face with the large soulful brown eyes and bristling whiskers of a large brown seal with a long, narrow face.

“Oh!” Belle greeted it instinctively. “Oh, hello. What are you doing here?”

The creature let out a quiet, uncertain “ _whuff”,_ spraying seawater from its whiskers and nostrils in response. It swam away when Belle leaned in for a closer look, cutting through the water in tight winding circles that never ventured far from the boat and dock. Belle had relaxed as soon as she knew the source of the cries was not in physical danger, but the seal’s movements were becoming faster and more frantic the longer she stood there and did nothing.

For some reason its reaction reminded her of the odd Mr. Gold; something about the way it moved and reacted. Plus, the color put her in mind of Mr. Gold’s hair and the eyes were the same shade as those of the strange Scotsman. It was almost as if the man really was a selkie and was asking or her help…

The Australian couldn’t help but laugh at the fantastical thought, making the seal’s head jerk around in alarm to look at her.

“I’m going to call you Gold.” She told it, ignoring the fact that she would probably never see the animal again once it lost interest and swam away. There was no way Mr. Gold could _really_ be a selkie. “You remind me of him. Strange man, very attached to his sealskin, but he seemed nice. I wouldn’t mind meeting him again.” Her voice became wistful as she recalled the only other mostly-friendly person she’d encountered in San Francisco so far (other than her hosts). It would be nice to have a friend. Plus, he certainly wasn’t hard on the eyes.

The seal blinked up at her, pausing its frantic movements to give her a once over before apparently coming to a decision. It let out a deep echoing bark that immediately commanded Belle’s attention, and swam over to the small pleasure boat tied to the dock, left behind while Ariel and Erick were in the city. The sea mammal twisted under the water, slapping its hind flippers against the boat and then circling it several times, barking and watching Belle the entire time.

“You…want me to get in the boat?” She questioned, nonplussed.

It let out a bark in what seemed to be affirmation and Belle shrugged. Ariel and Eric had offered her the boat's use whenever she wanted, going so far as to teach her how to operate the motor and navigation system, and she certainly wasn’t doing anything else today.

Why not see what the seal wanted?

* * *

Rumpelstiltskin still wasn’t sure what to make of the young woman following him. Thanks to his father and Milah, he had a deep enduring mistrust towards humans, but this particular one had held his pelt in her hands…and given it back. Even if she didn’t know about selkies, humans could always tell he was vulnerable on an instinctual level – it would have taken a mere whim for her to refuse to give up his sealskin and the truth about his species would have followed soon after. And then he’d be right back where he’d been with Milah.

Instead, he was free and he’d chosen to go to Belle for help.

He surfaced for a breath of air, making sure the human could see him and then continued onward. His crippled hind-flipper ached horribly from how hard he was pushing himself but there was no time to waste. Even now, he could feel low, mournful singing vibrating through his bones from the water, coming from the massive presence stalled out in the open ocean. Originally, he’d hoped that Ariel would help – the mermaid was of the sea just as much as a selkie and she had the equipment to help him, but he couldn’t wait. And Belle could help almost as easily as Ariel could.

He was actually lucky anyone had been available to help.

Something massive moved in front of him, a dark form drifting ever so slightly with the current. Rumple could not see the eye on this side, but he knew it turned towards him because the low, mournful cry became louder – a crooning, wailing tune that shook his very bones. The pitiful plea made his inner ears ache and sympathy clutched his heart.

He broke the surface of the water, blowing the water from his nose and whiskers before looking up at Belle’s boat, eyes wide and plaintive, pleading wordlessly for help.

Belle’s mouth was gaping and her eyes were so wide that the whites were visible all around as she took in the enormous creature beneath the waves. The singing was audible even from the surface at this close range, making the identity of the creature unmistakable.

“Is…is that a _whale_?” Belle whispered, in awe.

Had he been in his human form, Rumple would have frowned. They did not have time for this – the young whale needed help _now._

He rolled in the water and let out a beseeching sound, swimming towards the inert whale and back with an obvious plea in his eyes and actions.

* * *

Every lesson Belle had ever learned on her father’s boat warned against getting into the water with large wild animals. They could easily turn on her and kill her, especially since no one knew she was out here. All it would take to get trapped below the surface or knocked unconscious and drowned was a wrong move from either one of them. However, her instincts – and her heart – wanted to cave into the plea shining from the liquid brown eyes of the strange seal and the mournful singing of the whale. For a long moment, she stood on the railing of the gently bobbing boat, battling her inner conflict.

It didn’t take long for her to make a decision – her father’s lessons had never really sunk in anyway and the animals _needed_ her help. Plus, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Without further stalling, she took off her shirt and shorts and jumped into the water wearing only her swimsuit, belatedly recognizing she should have checked where Gold was swimming, but the seal didn’t seem to mind. He swirled around her in dizzying circles, looking her over, then fled towards the whale. Belle followed at a considerably slower pace, hampered by the only allowance she’d made for her safety; a serrated scaling knife that Eric had left in the captain’s compartment.

As Belle approached the massive marine mammal, she marveled its sheer size and presence. Now she could see that it was a blue whale, the largest species on the planet. Its head was at least twice as long as she was tall and the sunlight filtering down from the surface dappled its blue skin in shades of grey, blue, and reflections of green. Its song was beautiful and struck an oddly familiar chord – as if from a tune she’d heard long ago in a language she could not quite grasp. When she was close enough to see the nearest eye, she realized that the small body part was at least the size of her fist and distantly she recalled a piece of trivia she’d learned in high school; a blue whale’s heart was bigger than an adult human being. At this distance, she could easily imagine it. Never before had she felt so tiny and insignificant.

But there was something very wrong with the whale floating still in the water. Gold led Belle to the whale’s side at the base of its pectoral fin (easily big enough to swat her unconscious with zero effort) and with a jolt of horror, she saw that there was a mass of fishing lines and weighted trawl net tangled around it, holding the fin to its side and cutting deep, painful looking lines in its skin.

Gold latched onto the nearest line with his teeth and tugged at it futilely, trying to gnaw through the tough rope but making little headway. It took a moment for Belle to realize what he wanted and without a second thought for her own safety, she swam forward and set her scaling knife against the nearest rope. It didn’t part easily, but it did snap eventually, and then she started on the next one. Her determination to help the whale was only matched by that of her companion.

It felt like it took an eternity to free the huge marine animal, working in fits in starts as they sawed at the ropes and took turns coming up for air (thankfully they weren’t far from the surface), but they worked together well with the seal isolating important pieces for Belle to saw through, loosening the mass with every broken line. Finally, she cut through the last one holding the tangle together and a twitch of the whale’s fin dislodged the rest, sending it drifting aimlessly down towards the bottom of the ocean.

With a powerful thrust of its pectoral fins, the whale surged upwards and Belle fell away from its side. She made it to the surface just as a spout of water shot from its blowhole, showering her with ocean spray. As the creature tested out its freedom, the deep moans and croons of its song changed subtly in tone and Belle interpreted that as ‘thank you’ and happiness. Beside her, the seal barked cheerfully, making her jump and then smile.

Impulsively, she grinned and waved as her massive new friend started to move away. “You’re welcome!”

As if in response, a tail fluke almost as long as her boat lifted from the water, coming back down with a resounding _splash!_ and swamping Belle and the seal. She shook her head with a laugh while the seal made his little “ _whuff_!” sound again, blowing water through his whiskers. Feeling bold, she splashed the seal in the face like a child at the pool, and couldn’t help giggling at the stunned look she got in response. Then his eyes crinkled with mischief and one of his flippers – far more suited for moving water than her flat hand – swamped her with a response splash.

“Ack!” She laughed. “Okay, okay! I give! You win!”

He barked in response, reminding her of laughter and without even thinking about it, Belle reached out and laid her hand on his neck.

Gold froze, eyes wide, and Belle abruptly realized that this was still a large wild animal – potentially dangerous, no matter how human-like he acted. And Belle had no evidence that the fanciful theories she had about his identity were true – after all, it seemed impossible when she tried to confront the thought head on.

The seal’s fur under her hand was smooth and sleek, not quite as soft as the sealskin she’d found onshore but that could easily be because it was wet. Emboldened by the fact that the seal hadn’t fled, Belle stroked him gently. Surely he could not be just a seal…could he?

“…Gold?” She whispered. His head jerked back, eyes widening even more and Belle _knew_ she was right.

* * *

Rumpelstiltskin stared at Belle with fear that was rapidly being overcome by confusion.  The instinctive “ _she knows, she knows, get away!_ ” that sparked his instincts diminished when he took into account the trust she’d placed in him by following him out here all alone, the tender kindness she’d shown the young whale, and her willingness to return his pelt to him. That became even more impressive if she’d actually known what he was.

Had she? He’d need to be in human form to ask.

The human’s hand was a gentle pressure on his neck that produced conflicting feelings. The only person he’d shared kind touches with was Bae, and his son was a special case…Milah had never cared to touch him unless it was ‘necessary’ and she never would have dreamed of getting in the water with him. The touch-starved human part of him wanted to lean into Belle’s touch, while the abused wild animal part wanted to shy away.

In the end, he did neither. He just floated there quietly while she pet him.

After a few minutes, Belle’s hand dropped and she smiled self-consciously. Instinctively, she felt that this was the man she’d met yesterday, but there was a large part of her that felt ridiculous for talking to a seal as if it was human.

“I need to…” She gestured awkwardly back at the boat and the seal, as if snapping out of a trance, instantly dove and vanished beneath the waves. Belle’s face fell in dismay.

“Wait-!”

But he was already gone.

Abruptly feeling tired and drained of energy, Belle swam slowly back to the boat and hoisted herself up onto the deck. She took a long moment to rest before setting about navigating back to shore. Her adrenaline was wearing off and she’d never been happier that Eric favored modern boats with engines and navigation systems rather than anything that required more manual effort. She was able to relax as she made her way back. Her arms and legs ached from all the cutting and swimming she’d done and her mind was sluggish from so much adrenaline. So much so, that she did not immediately notice that someone was waiting for her on the dock.

When she did, her eyes popped wide open.

It was Mr. Gold.

He was absolutely soaked and holding his sealskin close to his chest.

With her research, if it was true ( _It had to be true, what else made sense?)_ , she now knew just how important that sealskin was and why he’d been so distressed to lose it. It had been cruel to hold it away from him even for a moment and she was endlessly relieved she hadn’t driven him away completely.

As the boat slowly puttered its way up to the dock, Gold twisted his pelt in his hands in obvious anxiety but stood still, waiting for her to secure it and approach him. Before she could say anything, he blurted abruptly, almost demanding.

“How did you know?”

Belle was brought up short by the unexpected tone. “Know what?”

“That it was _me_.” The pelt twisted around in his hands, glinting wetly in the sunlight. His eyes were wide and frightened and Belle felt her heart go out to him.

“That you were the seal?”

He nodded stiffly. He _was_ the seal. She’d been _right!_ Belle quickly tamped down on the surge of validation she felt – she didn’t want to scare him away.

“Well, I wasn’t sure, but after we met, I tried to find out why anyone would be so attached to a sealskin.” She kept her movements slow and smooth so as not to startle him and walked down the dock, giving him plenty of room as she passed him. “And selkies came up immediately. I still wasn’t sure, but when you came up to me this morning and acted much more intelligent than a normal seal, I thought I was right. Besides, your eyes stay the same.” She turned to him and smiled happily.

Hesitantly, he returned the gesture, but his voice was small when he spoke. “What are you going to do now?”

“Do?” That surprised her. She hadn’t been intending to _do_ anything and she wasn’t exactly sure what he meant. “Well, I’d hoped to see you again. Maybe we could be friends?”

Rumple blinked at the suddenly hopeful tone in her voice and felt something settle inside of him. Belle had repeatedly proven herself to be kind, compassionate, and honest – maybe he really could trust her. This time, his smile was wide and genuine. “I’d like that, Miss.”

“Please, call me Belle.” Internally, Belle was doing somersaults of joy, but she didn’t want to scare him away by revealing it.

“Belle.” He tested it out and found he liked how it felt to say her name. “My name is Rumpelstiltskin. You can call me Rumple, if you want.”

“Rumple. I like that.”

* * *

_**Epilogue** _

_In the days to come, both selkie and human would be faced with trials; Milah and Killian would come looking for Rumple to weave his magic into their sails, Bae would return from migration with tales of a swan-maiden that had captured his heart, and Belle would encounter an old flame who had trouble taking ‘no’ for an answer._

_Through it all, Rumple and Belle grew closer as allies, friends…and eventually something more._

**Author's Note:**

> I had lots of fun doing this, although it wound up nothing like the original concept I put together. XD
> 
> I hope you like it, giftee!


End file.
